Just sold my DR650 yesterday and am now bikeless for the 1st time in many years. Got the big 50 bday coming up this year and some financial obligations coming up in the next several years. I am thinking if I am ever going harley now is the time.
Being the ADV forum I know my audience is limited but I know there are a few HD kool-aid drinkers, so here goes it.

Been looking at road kings and street/electra glides. Other than the batwing fairing and music what advantages do the glides have over the king? The road king looks like a highly adaptable platform to work with. It would be real easy to go from solo street cruiser to 2-up over the road. It would be real easy to alter windscreen sizes and lowers where as you are kinda stuck with the glides fairing for life. I know the screens come in different heights for the fairing also. I assume some sort of music option could be added to the king. Currently these are the only 2 bikes in the HD line-up I am considering and I would be buying older used models. Any thoughts from any of you whom have owned/ridden both models?

Of the two, I have only owned the Road King. I bought it used and saved thousands. I would buy used again.
I can't imagine ever listening to music while riding.
If you are riding two up, you can get a more comfortable seat for your pillion.

I started on a FLHT Standard and ended up on an ultra. If the OL likes to ride she will be the happiest at the end of the riding day [and so will you] on an ultra. If you can afford an 09 model or newer you are farther ahead in safety[abs] handling and comfort.

The Streetglide comes with shorter rear shocks. Neither has cruise standard. The better deal is a Electra gilde as it comes with cruise and a truck for the same price as a street glide, just not as much fancy stuff which is all taste anyway. I'm not a fan of the batwing because it is heavy on the forks/steering and the wind messes with it. I had road kings and one road glide. The road glide is my fav but the Road king looks better.

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Retired and living off the interest on the money I owe.

I've ridden an 09 Road King on a 3500 mile six day trip with three fast riders riding faster machines. It was a great ride. Never even thought of having tunes.

I've ridden a 10 Electra Glide for a shorter trip wirth slower riders and LOVED the tunes, didn't like the compact seating space.

I bought a '11 ROAD GLIDE, and love the extra seating space. I really like the fixed fairing, and it's nice to have the little storage compartments right there for gloves, toll-tickets, micro-derringer, whatever. And my wife -- she loves the stereo. First thing she demands when we go for a ride is to turn it on. Cruise is awesome.

The Road Glide is my favorite. The Street Glide looks cool, but I don't like the shorter shocks. I like the better ground clearance of the Road Glice/electra glide.

The newer 103 cu powerplant has a noticible better kick than the 96, esp. on the top end. The 96 would run out of ooomph around 100. The 103 does the same at about 110 mph.

All are extremely fun bikes, and surpisingly good on gravel roads. I've done almost 15,000 miles on the rentals and my own. No problems.

The nice thing about the RK is you can make into just about you want all the accessories are on quick disconnect mounts you can go from “bar hopper” to touring mode in less than 10 minutes. You can purchase a batwing fairing too from an aftermarket source if you want. I have two windshields, tour trunk, luggage rack and a backrest that I can add when needed. I think it’s one of Harley’s most versatile platforms but if you know you want tunes and you never want to take the fairing off I would get an Electra Glide I don’t the Street Glide sits an inch lower limiting the already limiting ground clearance even more. I would also look at an 09 or later model Harley did major changes to the FL line in 09.

Street Glide does have 1" shorter shocks but so does the Road Glide Custom, otherwise supsensions on all the touring bikes are the same, the only thing that makes the SG lower are the shorter shocks. Easy fix, there are OEM take off shocks on Ebay all the time and for less than $100 you can buy a set of the longer shocks (13") and sell your shorter ones (12"). I did that with both the SG and the RG.

Never spent much time on a Road King but loved the weather protection that batwing fairing provided. Tunes on a bike, WTF...until you have them you don't know what your missing, then you can't ride without them. Yes you can add a detachable fairing to a Road King and tunes but once you get it painted your looking at about $1000. A lot of cash for something that you'll only use temporarily.

You can use the OEM SG windshield, which is really a joke, it's so short and get all the wind you want in your face, or swap to any of several height shields or tint (check out Fastaire.com) for under $35.

As metioned, if you can swing it regardless of which you get try to find an '09-present. The new frame handles so much better.

Good Luck...my 40th B-day present to myself was the '06 SG. As long as I ride I don't think I'll ever be without a full fairing touring HD. Too bad you couldn't keep the DR, mine satisfies all needs the Road Glide can't.

Been looking at road kings and street/electra glides. Other than the batwing fairing and music what advantages do the glides have over the king? None. They have the disadvantage of 1% less turning angle. The road king looks like a highly adaptable platform to work with. Yup. If you want to add a fairing with a stereo later you can. It would be real easy to go from solo street cruiser to 2-up over the road. It would be real easy to alter windscreen sizes and lowers where as you are kinda stuck with the glides fairing for life. I know the screens come in different heights for the fairing also. I assume some sort of music option could be added to the king. MP3/iPod powered speakers on the bars. Currently these are the only 2 bikes in the HD line-up I am considering and I would be buying older used models. Any thoughts from any of you whom have owned/ridden both models?

Buy a Dyna instead. 100 lbs lighter. More fun too ride. Better in town, more fun on the twisties and with less than a a thousand dollars in suspention mods they make fine mile eaters.

Just my opinion. Buy the one YOU like.

__________________“Watch out for everything bigger than you, they have the "right of weight"Bib

+1 and if you're looking at used bikes there are some smoking deals out there. Craigslist in Denver shows an 09 Dyna with 18,000 on the clock with bags and windshield and an asking price of $8900... Hard to go wrong with that..

I have had a number roadkings. Put lots of miles on them. Have a Street Glide now. If you don't need the radio I would go for the road king...just personal preference. Both are great touring bikes. With the road king I used to take the windshield off after a 500+ day put it in the hotel shower, turn it on, go eat and have a clean windshield by the time I got back. Always thought that was kinda neat. Enjoy which ever bike you choose. Spook.

Just got back from a day rental of a 09 Electra-Glide and laid down almost 500 miles in about 9 hours of straight riding. Did it for shits/grins for a free weekend and took advantage of a winter promo the rental shop was having. Other a couple niggles from a well-used and abused bike….I thought the ride was fantastic. It had the 96in motor in it, thought it did fine. I know the more recent models come with 103 standard now….more displacement never hurts.

Most of the riding was backroad stuff with as much twisties as possible thrown in, kept the freeway stuff to a minimum. I thought it handled pretty well for the size and weight, but doesn’t like to be pushed too hard like my GS or Hayabusa, nor should it be since it a completely different type of a bike. I got used to the heavy shake at idle….REALLY got used to it when at speed. Got it up to 100 on the way back to the rental-shop….didn’t like it at all, actually felt unsafe to me, but really liked a steady 70-80. Kick it in 6th gear, hold her steady at 75 or so….I felt like I could go forever, even with a nap thrown in as long as the road stayed straight. One area I was in got very windy for awhile, got a little sketchy with the batwing acting as a sail. Stock seat was pretty good in for me.

Never owned a HD product, but it is also entering my mind every so often. It would be a Street Glide for me, only because of the lower seat height is a better match to my 29inch inseam.

Shared a gas-stop with a Victory Cross Country….that looked pretty tasty also, similar setup as a SG.

While I have read both good and bad stuff about the Twin Cam motors, at least if you go with Harley, there will always be someone who can fix it or get the knowledge/know-how for as long as you own it. That to me is important because I tend to keep my bikes for quite some time.